March Walk March 10th

The March walk takes place on Sunday March 10th  starting at 2 pm sharp  (tide doesn’t wait!!). The meeting point is the Community Hall on the waterfront.    The 2½ hour walk is along historic Crooke Beach from Passage East to Newtown Head near Woodstown.   Shore life, bird life and geology will all be encountered along the way.  Return is by road passing by Geneva Barracks and the Knights Templar site at Crooke.  Optional refreshments afterwards.  Underfoot along the beach is pebble and sand so strong footwear is advisable;  otherwise,  this is a very family friendly walk with much to see and enjoy.  051-382629, 083-106-7042 or waterfordiwt@gmail.com

Greet the Snowdrops

Spring is on the way and to greet the snowdrops, our February walk will be from Ballyhack, County Wexford to Dunbrody House and back on February 10th, a distance of 7 km. The meeting point for the walk will be at the Car ferry terminal at Passage East at 1.45 p.m. The time for the walk will be between 2 and 3 hours with optional tea at Dunbrody Country House. This is a family friendly event but dogs must be kept on a lead. The harbour, foreshore, marine life and early spring woods are all part of this gentle walk. telephone: 051-382629 for more information.

Details on the the snowdrop here from the National Biodiversity Centre.

Some TV links

Coillte TV has started uploading videos including Woodland Restoration
Until 20th February, you can look at the Abhainn series on RTE Player...this one on the river Blackwater
and here for the river Barrow
BBC 2 have a look at railways...Charleville to Waterford, tonight 18.30

Nationwide on Wednesday 6th February includes report on the Copper Coast

January walk

January walk on Sunday 13th to Portlaw. Meeting point is Clongegam Church and start time is 2 pm sharp. The 2 hour walk is on country road and woodland trail and is family friendly. The walk will be co-guided by Mr John Crotty from Portlaw. Afterwards we go to the Portlaw Heritage Centre for a short visit. Directions for Clonegam: From Waterford drive through the village of Portlaw and then uphill past the entrance to Curraghmore Estate. Follow the road up and over the hill and at the bottom of the hill turn into the left to the church. Call 083-106-7042 if serious rain threatens.

Coastal Zone

The theme for the next meeting of the Waterford branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust on Monday January 14th will be :  the Coastal Zone...how to record what you see, a geographer's perspective.
The venue will be the Edmund Rice Heritage Centre, Barrack Street, Waterford at 7.30 p.m. 

The AGM will follow discussion. at 8.45  pm.  There will be very short  updates on a number of pressing ecological issues such as the Ash tree die back, the seal situation on our coast,   

Agenda

1.        Minutes of 2012 AGM

2.       Financial Report

3.       General Report from Chairman

4.       Motions

5.       Election of Committee

Note:   The Branch has had a busy year with individual members also contributing with a number of activities for children and adults.  There is much more we would like to do but that always depends on voluntary activity.  It is not necessary to commit to be part of the committee to undertake a project.  The AGM will be an opportunity to establish priorities and to do that I am asking you to make time to come to the AGM and help develop a plan of activities and priorities for the  coming year.

 

IWT Christmas outing

The Irish Wildlife Trust’s Christmas  walk and social takes place next Sunday December 16th  starting at 2 pm from the main car park at Woodstown.  We will walk to Creadan ( Fornaught) Strand and from there to the Giant’s Grave ( the Neolithic Passage grave at Harristown) along a section of the legendary Bóthar na mBan Gorm and by road back to Woodstown.  The walk is about 2½ hours and will be energetic in places.  The Bóthar is badly rutted near the Grave  and uneven in other places so strollers are not recommended..   But there is an option of a shorter route suitable for strollers.   Otherwise it is a family friendly event full of interest for all ages.  Afterwards there will be an informal Christmas get -together in a local hostelry and we would love to meet and chat with  members and friends 
and the general public  there.   

Coastwatch 2012

Cliff slumping near Raheen bridge

Catching crabs using recyled tyres at Fornaght Bay

Worms that think they are Coral dwellers at Newtown head

Washed up...not the blogger, the oyster bed remnants

Oyster beds at Woodstown